PHIL 298 - Philosophy of Race and Racism

What are races? Are they biological, cultural, or parts of social hierarchies? What does it mean to have a racial identity? Is racism about a person’s motivations or beliefs or is it about the effects of an institution or social structure? Should we ground racial solidarity on membership in a certain racial group or in the shared value of justice? Does justice require that we abolish the prison system in the United States or can it be reformed? We will address these pressing questions and others in this systematic exploration of philosophy of race.

Prerequisites
One course in philosophy highly recommended for first-years.

Credits 4

Notes
From time to time, departments design a new course to be offered either on a one-time basis or an experimental basis before deciding whether to make it a regular part of the curriculum.

New course

Area
Humanities

Division
Arts and Humanities

Compass Attributes
Humanities